Distance: 4.4 miles (one-way) – Option 2
Degree of difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Elevation Change: Gain, 398 feet; loss, 463 feet
Source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains – to – Sea Trail
Hike #21 begins just a couple miles from the start of Segment 10 on the Mountains to Sea Trail. The Eno River is prominent in the Piedmont Region of the MST, in fact it follows the Eno for over 20 miles. The Eno and the associated State Park are very convenient to Durham and they offer many trails and areas to get away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolitan area.
Over 30 years ago, while attending Duke University, several of my buddies and I found the Eno River to be an ideal retreat, falsely thinking we could actually study out there better than in the library. Today I had the privilege of hiking around the Eno River and Hillsborough with my son, Noah, who is now attending Duke Divinity School.
We began our hike at the Cape Lands access which is located on Howe St. This is a gravel road with some limited parking on the side of the road near the trailhead. The start of the trail here is a spur (blazed with red dot). There is another spur trail that leads to the quarry, which could also be added to the hike for an additional loop.
The MST intersects the spur trail in about 0.2 miles and runs concurrently with the Laurel Bluffs Trail. The majority of the hike follows along the Eno River offering many different views of the changing river. There are a few ruins and remains of homesites, etc along the path.
We began our hike at 9am on a Saturday morning and we met only a handful of people. This seems to be an active area for people to exercise or to just get away. The hike is well blazed and would be a relaxing trip for families seeking an opportunity to get outside with kids.
I hope to hike in this section again soon, next time I would definitely plan on a longer hike. Due to it’s proximity to Durham and the surrounding areas, there are many access points, allowing a hiker to choose their desired mileage. In fact, this is close to the start of one of the longest ‘on-trail’ sections in the Piedmont region. From the start of Segment 10, you could hike on trail to around Clayton, NC. The Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail recently announced future plans to add more trail that will extend this even further. You can read more about it here.
The portion of the Eno that this hike covered was calm and shallow with few rapids. Like many streams it had a soothing effect. The scenery and gentle flowing of the river made an ideal background for treasured conversations with my son. As is typical when you are in good company, the time went by too quickly.
